So, you may or may not have heard the buzz about TMAO (trimethylamine N-oxide). It is formed in by the gut flora from TMA (trimethylamine) and has been associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke. The resulting response was to recommend diets void of meats, eggs, and dairy […]
Heart Health
Coronary Artery Calcium Scan — Heart Health
A calcium scan of your heart can be a quick way to check on heart health! While we try and correlate standard blood testing (that is, a cholesterol or lipid panel), we are still essentially guessing as to the level of plaque formation. Elevated LDL and Lp(a) are associated with […]
How Do ND’s Approach Cardiovascular Disease??
This is a great overview of how naturopathic physicians assess and address cardiovascular disease, including referring to cardiologists when needed! There are many tests that help us assess underlying causes and determine helpful treatments. Check out this article: ND CV
Dietary Fat Guidelines Not Supported
This study indicates that the US dietary guidelines for fat consumption and reduced risk of heart disease are NOT supported. To quote the British Journal of Sports Medicine: “Results Across 7 studies, involving 89 801 participants (94% male), there were 2024 deaths from CHD during the mean follow-up of 11.9±5.6 years. […]
Statins May Increase Coronary Plaque Formation
This is an interesting article reporting that statin medications may actually INCREASE arterial plaque formation instead of reducing it. The study uses Coronary Artery Calcium Scores (CACS) which have a good correlation with calcified plaque levels in the arteries of the heart. I will say that Dr. Brownstein’s references are […]
LDL–Not the Demon It is Made Out to Be
While excessive levels of LDL (particularly certain fractions thereof) are associated with plaque formation, LDL is also necessary for transport of chemicals throughout the body, including your BRAIN! There are advanced labs that can be run to further assess lipids and their potential risks. And there is simple imaging to […]
Green Tea for Artery Health
New research is showing that drinking green tea may strengthen arteries. This means that there may be a reduced risk of aneurysm, a deadly condition. Green tea has also been shown to support healthy blood sugar levels and weight loss! And it is delicious, too–my favorite is matcha tea.
How The Impact of Sugar Has Been Down-Played
Sugar is associated with cancer, diabetes, heart disease, inflammation, and more. One of my favorite recollections was in medical school when I was scanning the nutrition shelves. I flipped open an OLD nutrition book (from late 1800’s)–the author was emphatically warning of the health consequences of “artificial sweeteners”. I rechecked the […]
Vitamin D
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again–get your Vitamin D levels checked. Low levels have been associated with increased risk of cancers (including breast, ovarian, colon and non-Hodgkins lymphoma), diabetes, multiple sclerosis and heart attacks as well as bone fractures. Read more in this attached article. Supplementing without […]
Childhood Stress and Hardening of the Arteries
This is a concerning report: the potential association between CHILDHOOD stress and increased risk of arteriosclerosis as an adult. Then add in the tremendous school stress these teens are under and we have a recipe for health disaster. Please read.
